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Breast tumors of the basal-like, hormone receptor–negative subtype remain an unmet clinical challenge, as there is high rate of recurrence and poor survival in patients following treatment. Coevolution of the malignant mammary epithelium and its underlying stroma instigates cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) to support most, if not all, hallmarks of cancer progression. Here we delineate a previously unappreciated role for CAFs as determinants of the molecular subtype of breast cancer. We identified paracrine crosstalk between cancer cells expressing platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-CC and CAFs expressing the cognate receptors in human basal-like mammary carcinomas. Genetic or pharmacological intervention of PDGF-CC activity in mouse models of cancer resulted in conversion of basal-like breast cancers into a hormone receptor-positive state that enhanced sensitivity to endocrine therapy in previously resistant tumors. We conclude that specification of breast cancer to the basal-like subtype is under microenvironmental control and is therapeutically actionable.

Endothelial cells (ECs) in blood vessels under formation are stabilized by the recruitment of pericytes, both in normal tissues and during angiogenesis in pathologic situations, including neoplasia. In the tumor vasculature, besides supporting the functionality of blood flow, pericytes protect ECs from antiangiogenic therapies, and have thus been implicated in clinical resistance to vascular targeting drugs. However, the molecular nature of the crosstalk between pericytes and ECs is largely unchartered. Herein, we identified pericyte-induced survival signals in ECs by isolation of vascular fragments derived from tumors that had been genetically or pharmacologically engineered to be either pericyte-rich or pericyte-poor. Pericytes induced the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-w in tumor ECs both in vivo and in vitro, thereby conveying protection from cytotoxic damage. The pericyte-dependent survival signaling in ECs was consequential to enforcement of an autocrine loop involving VEGF-A expression in ECs. Through molecular and functional studies, we delineated a signal transduction pathway in ECs downstream of integrin αvinvolving activation of NF-κB as the initiating event of the protective crosstalk from pericytes. Our elucidation of pericyte-derived pro-survival signaling in tumor ECs has potentially important implications for clinical development of antiangiogenic drugs, and suggests new therapeutic targets for rational multitargeting of cancer.

Endothelial cells (ECs) in blood vessels under formation are stabilized by the recruitment of pericytes, both in normal tissues and during angiogenesis in pathologic situations, including neoplasia. In the tumor vasculature, besides supporting the functionality of blood flow, pericytes protect ECs from antiangiogenic therapies, and have thus been implicated in clinical resistance to vascular targeting drugs. However, the molecular nature of the crosstalk between pericytes and ECs is largely unchartered. Herein, we identified pericyte-induced survival signals in ECs by isolation of vascular fragments derived from tumors that had been genetically or pharmacologically engineered to be either pericyte-rich or pericyte-poor. Pericytes induced the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-w in tumor ECs both in vivo and in vitro, thereby conveying protection from cytotoxic damage. The pericyte-dependent survival signaling in ECs was consequential to enforcement of an autocrine loop involving VEGF-A expression in ECs. Through molecular and functional studies, we delineated a signal transduction pathway in ECs downstream of integrin αv involving activation of NF-κB as the initiating event of the protective crosstalk from pericytes. Our elucidation of pericyte-derived pro-survival signaling in tumor ECs has potentially important implications for clinical development of antiangiogenic drugs, and suggests new therapeutic targets for rational multitargeting of cancer.

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is one of the most malignant tumors in humans, and currently there is no effective treatment. In the present study we investigated the effect of an endogenous estrogen metabolite, 2- methoxyestradiol (2-ME), on the growth of human ATC cells. 2-ME treatment had a strong growth inhibitory effect on five human ATC cell lines (HTh7, HTh 74, HTh83, C643, and SW1736), but showed no effect on one cell line (KAT-4). Cell cycle analysis of the growth-inhibited cells showed that 2-ME induced a G2/M-arrest, followed by an increased fraction of cells in sub-G1. Analysis of internucleosomal DNA laddering as well as DNA fragmentation in a terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay demonstrated a high number of cells undergoing apoptosis after 2-ME treatment. An increased activation of caspase-3 and caspase-8 by 2-ME was observed, and inhibition of caspase-3 decreased the apoptotic effect. Addition of 2-ME increased activity of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in the sensitive HTh7 as well as the refractory KAT-4 cells, however, activation of stress-activated protein kinase/c-jun aminoterminal kinase (SAPK/JNK) was seen only in the HTh7 cells. Inhibitors of p38 MAPK and SAPK/JNK significantly attenuated the 2-ME effect. Taken together, our data demonstrate an antiproliferative and apoptotic effect of 2-ME on ATC cells involving activation of MAPKs.

A high tumor interstitial fluid pressure (TIFP) is a pathologic characteristic distinguishing the stroma of carcinomas from normal interstitial loose connective tissues. The role of TGF-β1 and -β3 in generating a high TIFP was investigated in xenografted experimental anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) derived from the human ATC cell line KAT-4. A single intravenous injection of a soluble recombinant TGF-β receptor type II-murine Fc:IgG2A chimeric protein that specifically inhibits TGF-β1 and -β3, significantly lowered TIFP in a time and concentration dependent manner but did not change total tissue water content in the tumors. Tumor growth rate was higher in tumors treated with the TGF-β1 and -β3 inhibitor compared to control tumors during the first 10 days after administration of the inhibitor. The apoptotic index of carcinoma cells, and expression of the cell cycle inhibitor p27^Kip1, were, however, increased in TGF-β1 and -β3 inhibitor-treated tumors. Prolonged treatment periods and administration of a second dose of the inhibitor decreased tumor growth rate. The TGF-β1 and -β3 inhibitor did not affect proliferation or expression of phosphorylated Smad2 protein in KAT-4 cells cultured in vitro. Our results indicate that members of the TGF-β family are potential targets for novel anti-cancer treatment directed to the stroma. First by controlling TIFP and by that potentially the uptake of anticancer drugs into tumors and second by their suggested role in maintaining a supportive tumor stroma. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.